SCUTTLEBUTT 1337 - May 27, 2003

Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is a
digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock
talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press
releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always
welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.

GOAL-ORIENTED MISSION
Hull number one of the new Governor's Cup 21 class, a 21 foot racing sloop
designed by Alan Andrews of Long Beach, California, has just completed a
successful sea trial. This is the first of an initial fleet of eleven boats
built by Bravura Yachts of Costa Mesa, California, all of which will be
owned by Newport Balboa Sailing and Seamanship Association and used for
training and regattas, with an emphasis on junior sailors.

The class is named after the initial regatta in which the fleet will be
used, Balboa Yacht Club's annual Governor's Cup. The Governor's Cup is a 36
year old junior match racing series which has been designated the United
States Junior Match Racing Championship by US Sailing, the governing body
of the sport. For many years, Santana 20s owners have loaned their boats to
BYC for use in the Cup. Last year, a group of BYC members led by former two
time Governor's Cup winner Andy Rose decided to develop a new, purpose
built class for use in the Cup which would not only assure equality of the
fleet, but also provide more excitement to the sailors. Ten of the boats
are expected to be available for the 2003 Governor's Cup, August 12-17.

The boat has an overall length of 21 feet, with a waterline length of 18
feet 5 inches, a draft of 5 feet and the beam is 8 feet 1 inch. Displacing
1670 pounds, it has a sail area of 326 square feet in the main and 100% jib
and an additional 368 square feet in the masthead spinnaker. "These will be
modern racing boats, well suited for match racing and for the typically
light airs of Newport Beach," Andrews explained. "However, the boats have
enough strength and stability to work well when the breeze kicks up." The
deck plan of the boats is very simple and winches have been eliminated in
favor of ratchet blocks and jam cleats. Although the boat was designed to
be sailed by a crew of three, the wide cockpit and deck areas will easily
accommodate a fourth person.

The boats will be chartered by Balboa Yacht Club from NBSSA for the
Governor's Cup and other events sponsored by BYC on a long term basis, and
will also be available for charter to other yacht clubs and organizations
for events that are consistent with NBSSA's mission. Additional boats will
be available for sale from Bravura Yachts after the initial fleet is
completed. http://www.andrewsyacht.com/deshome.htm

SPA REGATTA
Medemblik, The Netherlands ­ The US Yngling team of Betsy Alison /Lee Lcyda
/Suzy Leech took the gold medal in the SPA Regatta for Olympic class boats
by finishing with scores in the top four places in each of the last five
races - enough for a six point win in their 28-boat class. The third place
finish by Bermuda's Peter Bromby /Lee White in the 54-boat Star class was
the only other podium finish for North American Teams at this ranking regatta.

Great Britain won the gold in four classes and took home bronze medals in
two other classes, while the Netherlands collected the most points for the
Nations Cup. North American teams were unable to break into the top 20
places in four of the eleven classes. - http://sparegatta.org/2003/

Following are the North American sailors who finished in the top 20 in
their respective classes:
- 470 Men (71 boats): 5. Paul Foerster/ USA

THEY JUST KEEP GOING AND GOING
At all the regattas around the world, just look at what the crews are
wearing. It is no surprise that the Camet 3000 Shorts, Bermuda Shorts,
Cargo Shorts Aruba Shorts and Pants are everywhere from Opti sailors to the
Farr 40's, Maxi's and cruisers. The comfort of the pads, the reinforced
Cordura seat, the quick drying breathable Supplex fabrics and the 97.5% UV
protection is the solution to hours on the water. Check out the Shorts,
Coolmax shirts, Neoprene Hiking pants, Bubble Tops, Rash Guards and Mylar
bags on the Camet web site: http://www.camet.com

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
One of yachting's superstars, Rod Davis was at the Olympic regatta in SPA,
Holland. Not wearing the haute couture of Prada or Team New Zealand as he
was last seen in, but sporting the colors of Denmark's Olympic Sailing Team.

The nationalized kiwi, who was born in the United States, has a total of
nine Americas Cup campaigns under his belt, but it is also his experience
with four Olympic Games that will benefit the Danish sailors over the next
year.

Rod Davis has taken up a position as supervisor for especially the team
coaches. He will follow the team closely at regattas and in their general
preparation for next years Olympic Games, sharing his experience with long
campaigns involving aspects of working as both individuals and as a team.

MATCH RACING
Five of the world's top-10 ranked women match race sailors are among the
competitors set to duel in J/22s May 28-31 in the BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup,
hosted by Eastport Yacht Club and held on Annapolis' Severn River. This
year's event will also takes on the added significance as a dress rehearsal
for the 2004 Women's World Match Race Championship, which will be held in
lieu of the Santa Maria Cup in 2004.

THE NEW AQUASPORT RANGE FROM DUBARRY
New from the leaders in Marine Footwear...The Fiji and Coral models utilize
Dubarry's award winning Cup Sole, dual stitched to a combination Dri-lex
and leather upper; providing superior traction and lateral stability in an
athletic styled deck shoe. Visit http://www.dubarryna.com/aquasport.htm

HIGH SCHOOL SAILING
Point Loma High School secured the Triple Crown of High School sailing by
winning the Baker Team Race Nationals this weekend on Mission Bay. 12
schools representing the districts of ISSA showed up to compete and after a
66 race elimination series Saturday, Newport Harbor & St. George's
qualified for the final four with a 3-way tie sail-off between Corona del
Mar, Point Loma and Southern High School (MD). St. George's and the
California schools made the cut. 36 races were held in 6-10 knots for the
finals with the decision coming down to the last race between Pt. Loma and
St. George's. Pt Loma went undefeated in the finals with Newport Harbor
winning the tie-breaker for 2nd over St. George's and Corona del Mar 4th.
Winning team: Pt Loma: Adam Roberts, Parker Shinn, Graham Biehl, Donald
Lockwood, Melanie Roberts, Bryan Rigby.
1. Pt Loma High School: 14 W, 3 L
2. Newport Harbor High School: 13 W, 4 L
3. St. George's: 13 W, 4 L
4. Corona del Mar: 8 W, 9 L
Full results at: www.highschoolsailingusa.org

NEWS BRIEFS
* Russell Coutts, skipper of the victorious Swiss team Alinghi in the
America's Cup, said Naples is his favourite to host the next event. "Naples
can dream. The Gulf is indeed exceptional and Bagnoli is a worthy place for
the America' s Cup", the skipper said. "If it depended on me I would carry
the Cup immediately here". Obviously, the Coutts' words are not enough to
decide the venue for the 32nd America's Cup, as the New Zealander admits
himself. "The problem is that I do not decide, but Ernesto Bertarelli, the
boss, and Michel Bonnefous", underlined Russell Coutts. - Cup in Europe
website, full story:
http://www.cupineurope.com/LatestNews/Where5.htm

* Joseph Dockery's 81-foot Reichel Pugh sloop Carrera was first to finish
in the Storm Trysail Club's 58th annual Block Island Race this weekend,
while his old Farr 60, now named Harrier sailed by Steve Munger, was
handicap winner in the International Measurement System [IMS] Class One.
With 52 boats in contention, the Harvey Conover Memorial Trophy for the
overall winner was awarded to John Santa's Swan 46 Galadriel from
Bridgeport, CT, winner of Class 6 in the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet
(PHRF).
http://www.stormtrysail.org

* Line honors for this year's Charleston to Bermuda Race went to Dr. Mike
Finn's J/160 Kativa out of Slidell, LA, finished in a time of 133 hours, 54
minutes, and 57 seconds, slightly more than 60 hours longer than the course
record. The only other vessel to finish before the time limit elapsed was
Rex Conn's Newick 48 trimaran Alacrity out of Still Pond, MD, which
finished just under three hours after Kativa. Teddy Turner, Jr.'s Condor 40
trimaran Troika, based in Charleston, SC, finished just over an hour after
the time limit elapsed. http://www.sailnet.com/c2b/index.cfm

* After 2,734 miles on the water, 9d 15h 4m 22s on the clock at an
average speed of 11.68 knots, Frank Cammas and the crew of Groupama crossed
the line at the port of Rimini to win the Challenge Mondial Assistance. In
less than 5 hours later the next three places were filled - Banque
Populaire (Lalou Roucayrol) and Bonduelle (Jean le Cam) followed by Geant
(Michel Desjoyeaux). - http://www.challenge-mondialassistance.com

* The Rodman 42 Telefonica Movistar steered by Pedro Campos won Class A at
the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship hosted by the Yacht Club Costa
Smeralda. Class B was won by Italtel, a Gd Soleil 42R (Orlandi/)Vascoti)
with Di Mare/Vaimo, a First 36.7 (DiMare-Cuomo) taking Class C.
http://www.orc.org/world03.htm

* The 2003 Sunfish US Masters Championship was sailed at Ninnescah
Sailing Association, on Lake Cheney, near Wichita, Kansas. Greg Gust, of
Rockwall, Texas, didn't have to sail the last race, having cleanly swept
the first six. By winning the overall championship he has qualified for the
2004 Sunfish World's Championship and also was the winner of the Masters
age group (age 50-59). The Apprentice Masters age group winner (age 40-49)
was Hank Saurage, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who was a close second overall.
Third overall was the defending champion, Rich Chapman, of Libertyville,
Illinois. - www.sunfishclass.org

* Somehow the letters printed in Friday's 'Butt tripped the "dirty word"
filter on a number of corporate e-mail systems, so many of our readers
never received issue 1336. For those who missed it, it's available online,
along this issue and all of our back issues: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

FOUR OUT OF TEN PREFERRED MUSTO
What did four out of the ten boats in the Louis Vuitton Cup and the
America's Cup have in common? They all chose Musto Performance Clothing in
their plight to win sailing's most prestigious trophy. Why did they choose
Musto? Because the combination of lightweight and stretch fabrics with
exceptional breathability and durability put Musto at the front of the
fleet. And unlike most AC technology, the Hula for example, it's available
to you, today, at your nearest Musto stockist (you don't have to have an
IACC boat to qualify!). http://www.musto.co.uk

SIR PETER JOHNSON
On Saturday May 24th Sir Peter Johnson died in his Lymington Hampshire,
home after a long battle against cancer. Johnson was a leading figure in
the world of yacht racing and held a number of senior posts in clubs and
organisations, playing strong roles in the yacht rating development, and
establishing the World Speed Sailing Record Council. He was a prominent
journalist and yachting historian, contributing thousands of articles to
the leading sailing journals, and wrote 15 books on yachting. In 1976 he
became the 7th Baronet of New York, an inherited title that was established
in 1755.

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com)
(Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be
edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is not a chat room or a
bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best
shot and don't whine if others disagree.)

* From Nigel Cherrie (re "The Brits seem to be doing something right at
the SPA Regatta): They are a group of amazingly talented sailors with a
system (the RYA) that helps them achieve the best of their abilities.

* From Brad Ruetenik: (re the Brits doing so well in all the classes at
SPA): Don't you think maybe it has to do with Briton's extensive sailing in
small boats. We certainly don't have that type of system in place here in
the US. Here everyone just gets on Big Lead mines, you don't learn to sail
very effectivly or effecintly on those things. Maybe we should emphasize
and support the dinghy parks a bit more.

* From Kimberly Birkenfeld (edited to our 250-word limit):
Congratulations to Team GB for showing so well at SPA, which is
traditionally a very challenging and cold regatta! The success witnessed at
SPA is certainly not just based on a familiarity with and a propensity for
training in cold and rainy weather like that often experienced in the UK
and Holland - neighbors across the stormy English Channel/North Sea. This
success can largely be attributed to adequate training funds allocated from
the UK National Lottery fund to worthy Olympic hopefuls.

A few years back, while working in London, I had corporate business
dealings with the British Olympic Association. I had opportunity to observe
how "World Class Performance Programmes" are nurtured with large support
from the National Lottery. During my travels as a US Olympic hopeful, this
knowledge was further augmented from discussions with British friends
during regattas.

Yes, the Brits are doing many things right in the stated objective to earn
Olympic medals for their nation, which can in turn lend itself to a boost
in nationalistic pride and morale.

Is an Olympic program the right place for government funds to be allocated?
I don't know, I'll let you decide. However, at least they are achieving
success in their stated objective! Of course, living on an island has got
to help with developing sailing skills too!

* From Ted Beier: Friday's issue had a number of items deserving comment
other than the origins of our favorite four-letter word. The UKs success in
Olympic sailing, much of the answer is in the level of funding. Fred
Hagadorn can provide more detail, but I suspect if the US spent as much
preparing their sailing team as the UK does, our success would improve
proportionately.

A major advantage that Great America II has over Sea Witch is the
availability of 21st century weather forcasting and routing along with
internet communications. All the Sea Witch had would have been Lt. Matthew
Maury's "Explanations and Sailing Directions to Accompany the Wind and
Current Charts". The charts were his as well. The evolution of weather
routing with Maury's information as an origin would make quite a lesson for
the schools with whom Great America communicates.

Looks like New Zealand did not learn the lesson about the devastating
effects of dithering over decisive action. This time, looks like they will
be loosing their sponsors instead of their top sailors.

* From Barry Auger: To give credit where due: Jonathan McKee is truly an
amazing sailor and he comes by it honestly. In the early 1970's we were all
campaigning Solings up and down I-5 from Vancouver to San Diego and poits
East. We would often see Jonathan and his brother Charlie, together with
their dad, enthusiastically sailing their Soling, and winning... even then.
They were both runny-nosed little kids, always with a smile on their faces
and there was their dad making it all happen. I hope he's as proud as he
should be: he gets a pocket full of points from me for what he did with
those kids.

* From Andy Rose: I was very sorry to hear of Noel Robins death. I was
honored to be his tactician in the 1977 America's Cup and have seen him
"around the waterfront" a number of times since then. He was a great guy
and a great sailor.

One story I'll always remember which says a lot about Noel. As many know,
the tow out to the America's Cup course in Newport, Rhode Island (the good
ole days) was a long one. Going out to that first race in '77 our usually
talkative and funny crew was pretty much silent with all of us huddled down
below thinking our own thoughts and dealing with nerves. Finally we break
out into the protected starting area and still no one has said anything
until Noel very quietly asks, "so, what do you guys do for fun?" Needless
to say, the tension eased considerably after the laughs that followed.

I will miss Noel a lot.

* From Howard W. Macken: Hear, hear for Commodore's Fortenbaugh comments
re drinking. One of the reasons I stopped racing and got out of the sailing
industry, was because of some of the really obnoxious "yachtsmen" one had
to deal with, especially when sailing and drinking mixed. The BS is bad
enough, but when it is mixed with alcohol.... well you know! I took up
amateur sports car racing, where there is no drinking until the last
checked flag of the day is dropped, that goes for everyone involved.

CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
As you get older, your back goes out more than you do.